Two free men, of whom Ælfwin had not even the commendation[245].
Of these men Harold had not even the commendation[246].
Thus commendation seems put before us as the slightest bond that there can be between lord and man. Very often we are told that the lord had the commendation and nothing more[247]. Thus it is contrasted with the soke:—
His predecessor had only the commendation of this, and Harold had the soke[248].
Of these six free men St Benet had the soke, and of one of them the commendation[249].
And the commendation is contrasted with the ‘custom,’ the consuetudo, perhaps we might say the ‘service’:—
Of the said sokeman Ralph Peverel had a custom of 3 shillings a year, but in the Confessor’s time his ancestor had only the commendation[250].
R. Malet claims 18 free men, 3 of them by commendation, and the rest for all custom[251].
And the soke is contrasted with the consuetudo:—